Happy Halloween

Clara Bow

Happy Halloween! I love this holiday and who wouldn't? You get to dress up, eat candy, tell ghost stories, and with daylight savings time ending tomorrow, you can stay up past the witching hour knowing you have more time to sleep in. It's the best. So have a spooktacular time and enjoy your Halloween.

Happy Halloween

Veronica Lake from I Married a Witch

Happy Halloween, everyone! Things are jumping here in New York with the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade (saw some brilliant costumes). I'm also celebrating the birthday of my favourite boy, my cat Poe, who turns 12 today. Hope you have a spooky time!

Happy Halloween!

Myrna Loy

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm writing this from a uptown cafe as I'm one of the unfortunate New Yorkers who lives below 31st Street and haven't had power since Monday. The best estimate as of this morning is 3-4 days before the power comes back on. I will admit it's been rough, especially the not being able to take a shower (there's no hot water). So fingers crossed it comes back on earlier than expected. Until then there may not be any new posts.

I also want to mention that it's the birthday of my handsome boy Poe who is 11 today. Love you.

Witch Hosiery

Ipswich, Massachusetts is a town I know well having spent many a summer day at Crane Beach and eating fried clams at the famed Clam Box. So I was delighted to find these vintage 1920s ads for Ipswich Hosiery.

The town has been home to numerous industries throughout the years including lace and stocking making. In 1868 the Ipswich Hosiery Mills was founded and by the turn of the century was the largest stocking mill in the country.

The symbol for the company was a witch (it should be noted that the last witchcraft trial in America was held in Ipswich in 1878). At first the company's witch was portrayed as an old hag but by the 1920s had morphed into a pretty, modern witch.

It's certainly an interesting marketing plan, comparing women to witches. Not sure if it led to the company finally closing in 1929 but there's no denying the ads are awfully attractive. 

For more witch and other Halloween-themed ads check out the Vintage Halloween Treats! tumblr here.

Halloween & Coffee

Halloween and coffee, two of my favourite things. What better way to enjoy my morning coffee this Halloween season than with this new ghost mug from Emma Bridgewater? I mean, how can I resist ghosts wearing orange Wellies? I'm a big fan of Emma Bridgewater and can't wait to add this mug to my collection (I just ordered it along with a marked down one for the Queen's Jubilee).

And the coffee I will be drinking in my new ghost mug will be made with my new Nespresso Pixie espresso maker! The smallest in the Nespresso line, the Pixie is compact, red, and just so damn cute. I've never been one to own a lot of gadgets and have happily been making coffee for years with either a French press or an Italian moka so this is a big deal for me. I'm sure the thrill of the new will wear off soon (I only got it a few days ago) but for now I'm looking forward to making coffee every morning.

For more on the ghost mug, check out the Emma Bridgewater site here. For more on Nespresso machines, check out their site here.

October Is On!

My favourite month of the year is here. I'm looking forward to not only wearing jackets and scarves again but all the new exhibits and plays that always arrive this time of year as well as eating pumpkin and seeing everything decked out in orange and black. And Halloween. Let the posting of cemetery photos commence!

Happy Halloween!

Clara Bow

Happy Halloween! I love this holiday. You can dress as crazy as you want and eat loads of chocolate without anyone batting an eye. I'm working today but plan on heading over to the Village afterwards to see the annual parade goers. My Agent Dana Scully costume went over well at the party I attended this weekend but today called for something different so I am wearing my tiara as I type this (I will jump at any reason to bring the tiara out). Have fun everyone.

For more cute photos of Clara Bow, check out the Clara Bow Archive here.

Dogs on Parade

Last weekend I headed over to Tompkins Square Park for a special event—the 21st annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. With 500 dogs and thousands of spectators, the area around the park's dog run was packed and filled with dogs of all breeds. Although I was unable to make my way up to the judging stand I had no problem seeing many of the dogs in attendance.

There were devils and angels, sailors and dinosaurs, and many, many more costumes to be seen.

Lady Gaga was there and Elvis too. Little Red Riding Hood made an appearance as did Cruella Deville (one of the few people in costume). 

It was a great day and definitely one of the most fun parades I've attended. After all, is there anything more amusing than a dog in costume?

Photos by Michele.

The Truth Is Out There

I'm going to a Halloween party this weekend and instead of a vintage look (my usual choice), I've decided to go as one of my favourite television heroines—Agent Dana Scully from The X-Files. I recently re-watched old episodes of the show (which I love) so Scully was on my mind when I was thinking about a costume. It also doesn't hurt that I already have the same outfit as she's wearing in the photo; I just had to pick up a wig and FBI badge. Easy Peasy. Are any of you dear readers dressing up?

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween dear readers! As a special Halloween treat, below is an excerpt from David Ogden Stewart’s tongue-in-cheek book Perfect Behavior; a guide for ladies and gentlemen in all social crises. Written in 1922, the book includes many helpful tips including suggested games for a Halloween party. Enjoy!

After the guests have sufficiently amused themselves with the ghosts and witches it will be time to commence some of the many games which are always associated with Hallowe'en. "Bobbing for apples" is, of course, the most common of these games and great sport it is, too, to watch the awkward efforts of the guests as they try to pick up with their teeth the apples floating in a large tub. I know of one hostess who added greatly to the evening's fun by pouring twelve quarts of gin into the tub; the effect on the bobbers was, of course, extremely comical, except for the unfortunate conduct of two gentlemen, one of whom went to sleep in the tub, the other so far forgetting himself as to playfully throw all the floating fruit at the hostess' pet Pomeranian.

Most Hallowe'en games concern themselves with delving into the future in the hopes that one may there discover one's husband or bride-to-be. In one of these games the men stand at one end of the room, facing the girls, with their hands behind their backs and eyes tightly closed. The girls are blindfolded and one by one they are led to within six feet of the expectant men and given a soft pin cushion which they hurl forward. The tradition is that whichever man the girl hits, him will she marry. Great fun can be added to the game by occasionally substituting a rock or iron dumb-bell in place of the romantic pin cushion.

No Hallowe’en is complete, of course, without fortune telling. Dress yourself as a wizard and have the guests led in one by one to hear their fortune told. Hanging in front of you should be a caldron, from which you extract the slip of paper containing the particular fortune. These slips of paper should be prepared beforehand. The following are suggested.

"You will meet a well dressed, good looking man who understands you better than your husband. How about Thursday at the Plaza?"

"You are about to receive a shipment of Scotch whisky that you ordered last month. And it's about time you kicked across with some of your own."

"You will have much trouble in your life if you lie about your golf score as you did last Sunday on Number 12."

For the older members of the party, the host should provide various games of cards and dice. In keeping with the ghastly spirit of the occasion, it would be well to have the dice carefully loaded. Many hosts have thus been able to make all expenses and often a handsome profit out of the evening's entertainment. 

And finally, when the guests are ready to depart and just before they discover that you have cut cute little black cats and witches out of the backs of their evening wraps and over coats, it would perhaps be well to run up stairs and lock yourself securely in your room.